oliverandharry

Traveling mid-June to Brussels from Paris by train, and will then have a week to explore Brussels, Gent and Bruges, and any place else you recommend. Likely will have a car - we prefer being on our own and toodling around than dealing with public trans. What timing, eg., how many days in each place would you suggest? We like art and architecture, history, lovely scenery and food. Beer not so much, chocolate very much! Early morning flight home from Brussels, does that consign us to an airport hotel the night before? Many thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Franto

Brussels, Ghent, and Brugges are a good program for one week. It depends on what the theme of your trip is. You can easily get from downtown Brussels to the airport in the morning. I have done it several times. It depends on how early you consider to be early, but I have made 0800 departures leaving from hotels in downtown. Enjoy the chocholate.

KayF

You are going to the right country if these are your interests! We love Belgium and have enjoyed all the places you mention, how about 2 nights in each place? The distances are not very far so you could do day trips from each place if you wanted. We have stayed in Brugge twice, the quality of accommodation there seems to be incredibly high, we can recommend De Triptiek, a lovely, centrally located B&B.
http://users.skynet.be/fb974761/

There is not a lot of parking in these towns/cities, you may want to ask each place you are staying for their recommendation of where to park. We have always travelled around by train which is easy to do but a car would give you more freedom.

Kay

Tulips

If you are arriving in Brussels by train, see Brussels first and pick up your car when you leave. Try to find a hotel with parking. If you stay in Brugge, easy to do daytrips from there to Gent and other places. Try to fit in Antwerp (about an hour by car from Brugge).
If the weather is nice while you're in Brugge, maybe consider a day on the seaside? Knokke is 15 minutes. The coastal area is not pretty, but the beach is huge, there's the Zwin nature reserve, and great restaurants and shopping.
You can park your car and rent bicycles.

zeppole

Personally, I would base in Antwerp for 3 nights, and day trip to Brugge and Gent, and perhaps spend your last two nights in Brussels. While in Brussels, I highly recommend the Horta House in addition to the Grand Place.

Antwerp has wonderful chocolate shops in its historic center and a stunning (and important cathedral), plus a great old fashioned art museum palace. It also has great food and completely untouristy yet charming and truly Belgian ambience.

If you are driving, you shouldn't drink jenever during the day -- and the best is in Antwerp, although it is also availalbe in Gent -- but that is another reason I would base in Antwerp, to enjoy some jenever at the end of the day.

Echoing Tulip's suggestion, you might want to read this

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/201...eaches-secrets

seetheworld

We made Ghent our homebase for five nights and used public transportation to make day trips to Brugge and the American Cemetery in the Netherlands. We stayed at the Ghent Marriott, which I can highly recommend.


http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...arriott-hotel/

Chocolate that will make you happy:

http://www.chocolatesvanhoorebeke.be/

DonTopaz

Chocolate:

It's not so much a question of avoiding bad places (it would be surprising to find any); rather, it's a question of going to the very most special places.

One of those places is the Neuhaus shop in the Galerie de la Reine in Brussels, about a block from the Grand Place. The chocolates are sumptuous -- the very best are the ones with fresh cream. These don't keep terribly well, so it's best for all concerned that you eat them right away. La vie est dure. Not only are the chocolates themselves wonderful, but the Galerie de la Reine is a magnificent and gorgeous passageway that is worth a visit on its own.

heronpoint

In 2009 I selected Ghent for a day trip from Antwerp, having heard the tourists in Bruges made for a crowded time there. Ghent is wonderful - easy to do in a day but you can certainly occupy more time. I enjoyed the tour of the castle; and there is a great museum about 30 min. from city center.

Be sure to try mayonnaise with French fries - you may decide to forsake ketchup!

Agree with members who suggest Antwerp as either a base or a destination in itself. I visited alone - spent 3-4 nights in June 2009. Train travel around the region is easy and pleasant; if you don't speak the language, no problems as you will get assistance from other passesngers (such as when a train splits into 2 directions and everyone else is exiting - what to do?)

I can recommend the Diamond Hotel in Antwerp it's an easy 10-min. walk, in safety, from the Central Train Station. The breakfast was good, plentiful, and served in a pleasant room; Also there's a bar on the premises, and staff will help you get tickets to events, etc. The city is very compact and walkable, and you'll find great chocolates in inconspicuous places.

Also recommended: Liege, east of Antwerp. Lots of culture there. Also Maastricht, in that tiny bubble of the Netherlands wedged between Germany and Belgium.

All this area, by the way, is only 50 mi. or so from the Ardennes Forest of WWII renown (Battle of the Bulge...)